Nicholas Wiley was born on July 17, 1962, in Syracuse. From a young age, his life was marred by criminal activities. His first recorded offense came in 1979, marking the beginning of a troubled path.

In 1983, Wiley faced serious charges for a violent crime involving a 66-year-old woman named Doris Lando. He was accused of attacking her with a hammer, cutting her telephone lines, and robbing her of items and cash. Despite the severity of these accusations, Wiley's lawyer argued that he had not received effective legal assistance. This argument led to a reduction in his sentence, and Wiley was released sometime before 1990.

Unfortunately, Wiley's early life continued to be defined by crime. By 1991, he was again in serious trouble with the law. These early years set a pattern for a life filled with legal issues and violent behavior, casting a long shadow over his future.

On April 11, 2004, Tammy Passineau, a 17-year-old single mother, disappeared in Syracuse. She was last seen with a friend on West Water Street. Tammy was known to move around a lot, so she wasn’t reported missing right away. It wasn’t until a month later that her family informed the police. Even though an investigation was conducted, Tammy’s whereabouts remained unknown, and foul play was suspected. After Nicholas Wiley was arrested, authorities began to suspect he was involved in Tammy's disappearance.

On May 31, 2004, Lottie Thompson, a 31-year-old mother of three, was found stabbed to death in her apartment in Syracuse. She lived in the same building on West Onondaga Street as Nicholas Wiley. The very next day, the body of 22-year-old Hannah Finnerty was found in a trash can outside the building. She had been stabbed multiple times. This alarming discovery led the police to arrest Wiley as a suspect.

After his arrest, Wiley confessed to seven murders, claiming he had killed four women, two men, and a teenage gang member between April and May. However, there was no evidence to support his full confession. Despite this, the police focused on Tammy Passineau's case. Wiley described killing a red-haired girl named Tammy in April, which matched Tammy Passineau’s description. A search of Wiley’s apartment revealed a box cutter with blood on it, which was later identified as Tammy’s. He was indicted for her murder in December, although her body has never been found.

During the trial, Wiley explained how he became enraged after a conversation about sexual predators and prison, which led him to kill Tammy by slashing her throat. He admitted to killing Thompson during an argument while they were having sex and claimed he killed Finnerty after she demanded more crack cocaine. Wiley described feeling like a ninja during these murders. His defense team argued that his confessions were coerced and that he was mentally unstable. However, the jury found Wiley guilty of three counts of first-degree murder and three counts of second-degree murder. He was sentenced to life in prison and his appeals in 2009 were denied, leaving his convictions upheld.